Anyone fancy taking a look at my stool test results? There’s a question you don’t get asked every day!
If you’ve heard me talk to Lianne Campbell (https://www.fuelforhealth.co.uk/) on her Podcast “Gutted”, you will have heard me rave about Functional Testing. I am definitely in the “Test don’t Guess” camp.
What is Functional Medicine and Functional Testing?
Let’s go back to basics. Functional Medicine is a term commonly used in the USA. It refers to a holistic, scientific, evidence-based practice, which looks at the person as a whole. It uses a systems based method to dig deep and get to the root cause of a health problem or problems. Here in the UK, Nutritional Therapists use a very similar Functional Medicine model way of working.
Functional testing is any test which helps us to get to that root cause.
So what’s a CDSA?
CDSA stands for Comprehensive Digital Stool Analysis. By providing a stool sample, usually over 3 days, the laboratory uses a range of microscopy and biochemical methods to analyse exactly what is happening in YOUR gut. The newer tests also use PCR (DNA) technology, literally tracking the DNA of anything which may be in there – including all the different types of bacteria in the microbiome, good and bad.
My Results
Ok, so lets get to the interesting bit. What did my results looks like, and what did they tell me in relation to my psoriasis and overall health?
This is the first, summary page. You can see I had 3 different types of dysbiotic bacteria. The fact that they are in the dysbiotic category means that they are overgrown, the 4+ is the maximum amount possible so the Citrobacter Farmeri and Enterobacter were both at maximum abundance. Because they are present in such large amounts, they can now also be classed as pathogenic. If they were there in lesser amounts, they wouldn’t be a problem. The middle, imbalanced flora, are the bacteria which could potentially go across to the dysbiotic category if they grow too much more.
On the plus side, my commensals (or “good” bacteria were pretty good and also in high amounts.) Large numbers of commensals and dysbiotic bacterias can be a sign of SIBO, so that is something to bare in mind.
I also had a slight overgrowth of a particular strain of candida (Candida Parapsilosis.) The culture section means that they managed to grow some in my stool (lovely!) but they microscopic result was “None” so they didn’t actually see any visible.
The dysbiotic/pathogenic bacteria and candida are all disrupting my gut environment. The Citrobacter and Enterobacter species are all gram-negative bacteria meaning they give off their own endotoxins, which cross the leaky gut and add to the immune cascade which ultimately can lead to psoriasis.
So what to do about these?
I need to knock back the dysbiotic bacteria, to stop them producing their endotoxins, so that I can allow the leaky gut to heal. The candida, although in a low amount also needs to be addressed.
Luckily, the Doctors Data test comes with a personalised sensitivity test. They test your own personal sensitivity to the bacteria against certain herbs. This is such a useful tool for knowing which herbs to use for the next stage which will be an anti-microbial protocol. Here are my sensitivities.
These sensitivities are unique to each person. In my case, I was most sensitive to a herbs called Uva Ursi and Grapefruit Seed Extract. For the next 2 months I undertook an antimicrobial protocol alternating these, with the aim of knocking back the dysbiosis and candida and re-balancing my gut environment and microbiome….
These sensitivities are unique to each person. In my case, I was most sensitive to a herbs called Uva Ursi and Grapefruit Seed Extract. For the next 2 months I undertook an antimicrobial protocol alternating these, with the aim of knocking back the dysbiosis and candida and re-balancing my gut environment and microbiome….
To be continued…